FARMINGTON – Hakuna Matata! The Sandy River Players presents The Lion King, Jr. performed by its annual Summer Theater Camp on July 8, 9, at 7 p.m. and July 10 at 2 p.m. in the Bjorn Auditorium on Mt. Blue Campus.
By special arrangement with Music Theatre International, the show is based on the Broadway version by Taymore, John, Rice, and Zimmer with the junior book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi plus additional music and lyrics by Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin.
Director Kat Zachary, who has been working at the camp for seven years now, notes that the bigger stage of the Bjorn is a challenge for the younger campers to “fill up” but that they’ve been doing an “awesome job.” Zachary, along with musical director Laura Church; technical director, David Smith; choreographer, Gracie Libby; pianist, Andrea Kierstead; and camp councilor, Brendan Hickey; will have been working with the students for three weeks on voice projection, singing, blocking (including stampeding and animal movement), choreography (as an animal), and just plain fun theater games.
“Rehearsals have been amazingly fast paced because this group picks things up like crazy,” Zachary said. And she notes that the “amazing staff anticipates what I want before I ask.” Clearly theatrical magic is being made.
The show should seem the familiar: a young lion prince’s (played by Skyler Kidder and Donovan Hurley) throne is usurped by a villainous uncle (Grace Bell). The kingdom falls to ruin until good (with the help of optimistic sidekicks played by Caitlin Zamboni and Zinnia James) can finally overcome evil. The cast also includes Brynne Robbins and Kiara Hurley who play younger and older versions of Nala, Sophia Pirres as Rafiki, and Ben Marcotte as Mufasa. There are many other student actor-animals in this cast of about 30.
Tickets are available at Devaney, Doak, and Garrett Booksellers in Farmingtion or at the door the night of the performance. You can also reserve tickets by calling 779-7884. Please note that although this show is performed in the new Bjorn Auditorium, SRP’s contract with MTI (Music Theatre International) has limited the number of seats available each night to 150 despite the larger size of the Bjorn, so please get your tickets early! The costs are $11 for adults and $9 for seniors and students.
Plenty of tickets left for the Saturday evening show. They will be available at the box office starting at 6:30